


Ridiculously, Gloriously Mundane

by mistyautumn



Category: Blood+ (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:21:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27127142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mistyautumn/pseuds/mistyautumn
Summary: Saya wakes from a nightmare; Riku knows how to help.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	Ridiculously, Gloriously Mundane

**Author's Note:**

> Full disclosure, it’s been a while since I’ve watched / written Blood+, so hopefully this fits in the timeline somewhere in between “Cursed Blood” and “Joel’s Diary”. It started with me wanting to write something kinda spooky for Halloween, then morphed into fluff. Sort of. Anyway, I hope it’s ok.

Saya woke with a start, breath hitching, heart racing.

There were nights when she could still hear the children singing in the jungles of Vietnam; nights she could see their skin shred apart to reveal the monsters cruel men had sacrificed them to make. The worst nightmares were the ones where she saw herself cutting through them; vicious, animalistic… _Berserk_. She’s heard Kai say that. She didn’t stop at the children, either… She dreamed of Miss Clara bleeding out. She dreamed of Riku…

_No._

She took a shaky breath, hot tears filling her eyes. Riku wasn’t changed in Vietnam. Riku was-…

Riku was her chevalier now, like Hagi… No, he wasn’t changed in Vietnam, but he _was_ forever changed at The Zoo. It didn’t seem to make much difference; it was all because of her. She sucked in a breath and hated herself for wondering if something monstrous lurked beneath his skin. In her mind’s eye, her sword sunk into him and _her_ blood spilled out, crumbling into crystals like Irene…

_Someone else I couldn’t save._

Scrubbing the heal of her hand across her eyes to try and banish such visions, she got up and walked to the door, opening it and starting as she stepped directly into Hagi who promptly steadied her.

“I heard you wake.” He answered before she could ask. He was always vigilant; always close. From the end of the hall, Riku peered at them.

“Saya, are you ok?” His voice was soft; mindful of those who slept on in the apartment. Riku was always thoughtful.

Something rose in her throat: shame. She tried to swallow it; made herself smile reassuringly.

“I’m alright. Just a nightmare, that’s all.”

Riku seemed to consider her, then darted into the kitchen, putting a kettle on the stove top. _Always thoughtful._ In the dark of the hall, Saya couldn’t be certain, but she thought she saw the shadow of a smile on Hagi’s lips.

“I’ll make you some tea.” Riku offered reassuringly.

“You’re so sweet.” Saya answered softly. “Thank you…”

“Maybe I can’t fight yet, but I wanna help you like Hagi.” He was so earnest it made Saya’s heart ache.

“Tea sounds perfect.” She looked to her other chevalier as his bandaged hand came to rest between her shoulder blades, his eyes studying. “I’m ok, I promise. Just need some- some tea, that’s all.”

“If that is what you wish.” He gave a nod and ushered her into the little kitchen, guiding her to sit at the small table.

“Do you wanna talk about your nightmare?” Riku asked tentatively. “Sometimes when I used to have nightmares I’d tell dad about them, or- or Kai, and it made me feel better.”

“I can’t even remember it.” Saya lied. Something flickered in Hagi’s eyes and she knew she’d been caught, but he didn’t give her away and for that she was grateful. “There was a lot of blood.” She conceded. It was true.

Riku frowned and reached for a high cabinet, Hagi stepping in and getting a mug that he handed down. Would Riku resent that he’d never grow taller? Saya couldn’t bear to ask.

“Thanks!” Riku smiled the same smile he’d always had, plucking the teapot off the burner before it could whistle and fixing Saya’s tea. She sipped and the knot in her stomach eased a little.

“Mm, thank you, Riku.” She breathed in some of the steam and sighed as it soothed her.

“Tea usually works.” He settled in the other kitchen chair.

“You sound like dad.”

Riku beamed, then laughed a little. “I think he used to say a _drink_ usually works. Kai said he meant alcohol, but maybe he meant tea?”

“Yeah, maybe.” In spite of herself, Saya smiled too, feeling an immense gratitude that somehow, in spite of everything, Riku was still here; still himself. Now if her dreams would take that into account… She glanced to Haji, feeling the weight of his gaze; smiled reassuringly. “I’m aright.” He nodded, satisfied for the moment.

After blood, and battle, and horror there was something ridiculously, gloriously mundane to the moment: drinking tea in the kitchen with her brother and her- Hagi. She sipped; smiled thinly. If she closed her eyes, it could be Omoro…

She held the thought carefully, precious in her heart.

“We havin’ tea?” Her head whipped around to look at Kai, standing tousled in the kitchen doorway.

“Did we wake you up?” Riku cringed.

“Nah.” Kai shrugged, a weight in it that Saya knew. She wasn’t alone in her nightmares. Still, he reached out, ruffled Riku’s hair.

“Hey!”

“Hey yourself.” He got a mug, but poured something stronger than tea. Riku snorted quietly, sharing a glance with Saya.

“A drink usually works.” Saya said, trying to find George’s sage tone.

Kai huffed. “I’ll drink to that.” He dropped into a chair and clinked his mug to Saya’s.

“No more nightmares.” Riku said hopefully.

Kai looked into his mug, then into Saya’s eyes. For a moment she saw Vietnam again; heard his voice call her name- bring her back. Something in him softened. “Yeah… Yeah, I guess we’ll see.”


End file.
